Rare earth-doped alumina thin films deposited by liquid source CVD processes

Two types of liquid-source CVD processes are proposed for the growth of rare earth-doped alumina thin films suitable as amplifying media for integrated optic applications. Amorphous, transparent, pure and erbium- or neodymium-doped alumina films were deposited between 573 and 833 K by atmospheric pressure aerosol CVD. The rare earth doping concentration increases by decreasing the deposition temperature. The refractive index of the alumina films increases as a function of the deposition temperature from 1.53 at 573 K to 1.61 at 813 K. Neodymium-doped films were also obtained at low pressure by liquid source injection CVD. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.